The+Individual+in+American+Society-+Topic+3

Topic
toc Informational Texts: Letters, Speeches, Articles, Columns, and Essays

**Title**
The Individual in American Society

Students will continue to examine the theme, "the individual in American society" through the reading, interpreting, and analyzing nonfictional/iformational texts. Students will continue to use inferencing, interpreting, and drawing conclusions techniques to cite textual evidence to support the theme. Group presentations of mock trials and skits, persuasive essays incorporating rhetorical devices,letter writing, and informational essay are some of the highlights of this topic.

Common Core Standards

 * RL.11-12.4**: Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and early twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics
 * RI.11-12.6:** Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective
 * RL.11-12.6:** Analyze how style and content contribute to the power, persuasivenessess, or beauty of the text
 * RL.11-12.1:** Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
 * RL.11-12.3:** Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem, evaluating how each version interprets the source text
 * RI.11-12.2:** Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex anaylsis
 * RI.11-12.2:** Provide an objective summary of the text
 * RI.11-12.9:** Analyze seventeenth, eighteenth, and ninteenth-century foundational U.S. documents of historical and literary significance
 * RI.11-12.8 :** Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S.texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use legal reasoning, and the premises, purposes, and agruments in works of public advocacy.
 * W.11-12.1**: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topic or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
 * W.11-12.2:** Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content
 * W.11-12.3:** Write narrative to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences
 * W.11-12.6:**Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information
 * W.11-12.8:** Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources,using advanced searches effectively
 * W.11-12.5:** Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a special purpose and audience.
 * SL.11-12.1:** Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups,) with diverse partners on grades topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
 * SL.11-12.3:** Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
 * SL.11-12.5:** Make strategic use of digital media(e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
 * SL.11-12.6**: Adapt a speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
 * L.11-12.1:** Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
 * L.11-12.3**: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
 * L.11-12.4:** Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
 * L.11-12.5:** Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
 * L.11-12.6:** Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level.
 * L11-12.6:** Demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression

Suggested Student Objectives

 * Interpret and analyze a challenging historical document (**RI.11-12.9), (****RI.11-12.8)**
 * Analyze elements, proceedings, and decisions related to criminal and civil law ( **W.11-12.1), (RL.11-12.6), (RI. 11-12.8),**
 * Apply knowledge of rhetorical devices, syntax, and rhetorical appeals to understanding speech (**RI.11-12.6), (SL.11-12.6), (L.11-12.6)**
 * Make inferences/draw conclusions about a writer's attitude through examining the choice of words or detail in descriptive writing (**W.11-12.5), (RL.11-12.1), (RL.11-12.4)**

Suggested Additional Readings

 * "Letter to her Daughter from the New White House" (Abigail Adams)- Letter-Prentice Hall //Literature: The American Experience, pp. 158-150//
 * From Civil Disobedience (Henry David Thoreau) Essay- Prentice Hall //Literature: The American Experience, p. 290//
 * Inaugural Address (John Fitzerald Kennedy) Speech - //Springboard:English Textual Power, Level 6, pp.218-221//
 * Speech in the Virginia Speech(Patrick Henry) Speech - Prentice Hall //Literature: The American Experience, pp.124-126//
 * From Letter from Birmingham Jai__l__ (Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) Letter -//Grace Abounding: The Core Knowledge Anthology of African-American Literature, Music, and Art, pp. 517- 519//
 * *The Culture of the Jury Room (John Bryson) Essay - Internet
 * *Jury Duty (Anna Hodgson) Article - Internet
 * *Reading Jurors' Minds (James Q. Wilson) Column - Internet
 * Matlock,"The Juror" - Television Series

Resource Links
Prentice Hall //Literature: The American Experience// //Springboard:English Textual Power, Level 6// //Grace Abounding: The Core Knowledge Anthology of African-American Literature, Music, and Art// Jury Research and Practice Reading Jurors' Minds from Commentary Magazine Archive of James Q. Wilson's Writings from Commentary Magazine American Rhetoric //Matlock, television series//
 * [|www.highbeam.com/doc//G1-70396458.html]**
 * //finderarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_1620.../ai_70396458///**

Activities

 * COLLABORATE**
 * Discuss in a group setting the rhetorical devices used in two texts, focusing on the ways in which they(devices) help to strengthen the argument (**RI.11-12.6), (****SL.11-12.1)**
 * Listen to a variety of recorded speeches and take notes on the rhetorical devices and share notes with others(**W.11-12.8)**
 * View an episode from the television series //Matlock// entitled "The Juror" and compare it with Miller's //The Crucible// or Rose's //Twelve Angry Men//
 * Create and present an original persuasive speech that addresses a contemporary issue, include rhetorical appeals and rhetorical devices (**W.11-12.1), (****L11-12.6), (****L.11-12.3)**
 * Conduct a mock trial on a contemporary issue, reflecting on the criminal law terminology. ( **W.11-12.1), (****W.11-12.8), (****W.11-12.1),** **(****SL.11-12.3), (SL.11-12.6)**
 * Work with peers to promote democratic discussion and decision-making based on one of the texts, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed**(SL.11-12.1)**
 * READ**
 * Define civil and criminal law, focusing on the following terms: plaintiff, defendant, jury, counsel, verdict, prosecutor, indictment, burden of proof, cross-examination, preponderance of evidence (**W.11-12.1), (****L11-12.6), (****L.11-12.3).**
 * WRITE**
 * Imagine being the recipient of one of the letters in this unit. Write a response. (**W.11-12.3), (****L11-12.6)**
 * Choose one poem and one informational text from this unit and write a common controlling idea paragraph using evidence and specific details.(**W.11-12.3), (****RL.11-12.4), (****W.11-12.5)**

Assessments
The teacher will conduct observations and assistance during class activities. Students will be assessed through responses to oral questioning and appropriate homework assignments. The students will be assessed on the group assignment through a group and individual rubric by teacher as well as students. Students' paragraphs and essays will be assessed through the use of an essay rubric based on the specific type of writing, and a persuasive guide scoring rubric. Students' responses to interpretative questions following each selection will be graded, either orally or written. Students will complete a check test and/or quiz after the completion of each section of the texts. All oral presentations will be assessed through peer feedback/critiques and written reflections, and teacher rubrics and/or comments.